Abstract:

As higher education institutions seek to prepare graduates for an increasingly globalised workforce, there is growing demand for scalable and practical models that foster intercultural communication, multilingual competence, and student engagement. This paper presents a pedagogical initiative implemented over two semesters at City University Qatar Ulster University (CUQUU). The initiative, referred to as the Language Hub, is a voluntary, peer-led programme in which multilingual students serve as community language instructors offering Arabic, French, and Spanish classes to fellow students and staff.

The Language Hub was intentionally designed as a low-cost and easily implementable model that universities can readily adopt to expand informal language learning opportunities on campus. The programme integrates principles of learner autonomy, structured scaffolding, peer teaching, and reflective practice within a flexible framework that does not require specialised infrastructure or extensive technological support. While contemporary educational discourse often emphasises AI-driven learning tools, this model foregrounds authentic human interaction, culturally responsive communication, and real-time pedagogical decision-making by novice teachers.

Using a Design-Based Research approach, this study examines the design principles, implementation processes, and experiential learning outcomes of the Language Hub. Findings indicate that voluntary participation and peer-led instruction enhance learner engagement and language confidence while enabling student-teachers to develop practical teaching competencies. The study contributes a transferable pedagogical design that universities can adapt to promote multilingual engagement and experiential teaching development in diverse campus environments.

Keywords:

Multilingual Competence, Design-Based Research, Experiential Learning, Higher Education Pedagogy.